The Last Metroid Another Story
by Carnath
Summary: A rewrite of the game, Super Metroid, with a few minor changes. Also includes some game hints along the way. Plus a continuation after the game would end.
1. A new Realization of fear

The Last Metroid (Another Story)

Prologue

            It was a typical day as Quothos walked down the street to the store. He knew what he would do when he got there. He would head straight for electronics to see the newest games on the market. He had beaten Super Metroid a few days ago and needed a new game to master. He still couldn't believe that Mother Brain had killed the last Metroid. He walked into the store, but nothing he saw caught his eye. He walked back home and turned on his Super Nintendo. The Super Metroid logo appeared and he selected a new file, aiming for a better time.

            "I know I can do better than two hours" he thought to himself. "I'll wipe Metroid off the face of the solar system again." Outside the clouds started to get dark, and a low wind picked up. Off in the distance, a clap of thunder was heard.

            "Another storm? Oh well, as long as the power doesn't go off." He said to no one inparticular. He hurried through the space center and entered the hatchling room, where Ridley sat in waiting. Another clap of thunder went off outside and Quothos jumped.

            "Jesus Christ that one was close. I hope that surge protector keeps the TV from blowing up." He crushed Ridley like he always did and laughed as the large creature took off with the hatchling. Then there was a huge flash as thunder and lightning combined in a strike of sheer power. The two obliterated a power pole and the electricity surged through the wires. The lights in Quothos house went dark, but the TV remained on. Quothos looked around.

            "Freaky. Why didn't the TV go off?" Then he felt the electricity travel up through the machine, into the controller, and into his body. He could feel his body being burned up from the inside, but then something unnatural happened. His legs weren't numb. They weren't there at all. His body was starting to de-materialize. The shock over took him and his world went dark.

**Chapter 1**

**A new realization of fear**

            When Quothos opened his eyes, the room was dark around him. But he was no longer in his bedroom, not even his house. Something reeked in the air around him and it burned his nostrils. His eyes started to focus in the low light and he felt sick. There were mangled bodies strung throughout the room. Computers hummed softly with flashing lights, but there was no one there to control them. The people were all dead. Suddenly he felt the room start to shake. In the distance he heard a door open and loud metal footsteps head in his direction. He shrank back to avoid whatever was coming down the hall. Whatever did this to these people could very easily do it to him. He saw a figure running down a hall and enter the room he was in. Then it stopped short and looked at its arm.

            "Lifesigns? But I just checked and there were none!" The figure said. The voice was obviously female. Suddenly there was a bright light shining in Quothos face.

            "Leave me alone! Don't hurt me!" Quothos blurted out putting his hands up to protect himself.

            "I'm not going to hurt you. Come on. We have to get out of here. This place is about to blow!" The woman said. Quothos saw a large chunk of a ceiling plate hit the ground about three inches to his left and he jumped up.

            "You don't need to tell me twice." He said running towards the opposite end of the room. For some reason he seemed to know where to go, yet he'd never been here. The door opened and the two ran ahead. They made it to the top of the room, but there was no door or ladder.

            "Now what?" Quothos cried, dodging a large puff of red-hot steam.

            "Get on the platform of course." She said, pointing to a glowing platform. Quothos hesitated but she pushed him on and then got on herself. The platform started to move upwards towards the ceiling. At the top a hidden door opened and they were lifted into a vehicle of some sort.

            "Sit down and hang on. This is gonna be close!" She said as she sat in a chair. She pressed a few buttons and Quothos could feel whatever they were in start to move. Then there was a huge jolt and Quothos was thrown out of his chair.

            "Shit! Two more seconds and we woulda been space dust." She pushed some more buttons then turned around and looked at Quothos. Quothos hoisted himself up and rubbed his head. "You okay?" She asked.

            "I'm fine. But what just happened? Where am I?" Quothos asked, trying to get his eyes to focus.

            "You're on board my space ship. We just escaped the space colony that blew up. Now I've got a few questions for you." She said. "Why are you alive? How come Ridley didn't slice you up like the others? How did you hide from him? He's not easily fooled you know."

            "Ridley? Space Stations? Wha…?" Quothos looked at the figure and got a clear look for the first time. If it was a woman, she was in some odd armor or something. She had a cannon on her right hand. Just like Samus Aran did in Super Metroid.

            "I realize you're dazed by the attack, but I want some answers." She said taking off her helmet. Long blond hair fell out and Quothos' eyes grew wide.

            "S..Samus?" He didn't recall saying the words, but they came out just the same.

            "Well at least you remember who I am. Now do you wanna tell me what happened?" Samus asked. Quothos' mouth went dry. What was he supposed to say. He knew exactly what she knew. She wasn't more than a video game. But here he was talking to her. His instincts from the game kicked in.

            "Follow Ridley. He's taking the hatchling to Mother Brain. She's waiting for him on Metroid!" Quothos blurted, thinking this was just a dream.

            "Metroid? Mother Brain? Look doc, I don't know what kind of trauma you're in, but Mother Brain is dead, and Metroid was long destroyed. I was there." She said a hint of laughter in her voice.

            "Not anymore. She's very much alive. If you follow Ridley I'll prove it." He said, moving towards the controls.

            "I've already got the ship following Ridley. But he's got a good lead on us. But first things first. How do you know this?" She asked, a quizzical look on her face.

            "You wouldn't believe me if I told you Samus. Trust me on this one. All you need to know is that I'm as confused as you are."


	2. The Nightmare Reborn

**Chapter 2**

**The nightmare reborn**

            After a while, Samus' ship had trailed Ridley to a large orange planet.

            "This can't be…" Samus said as her ship started to land. "This is the same landscape as Metroid. But I vaporized that planet.."

            "Oh there's no mistake there. But the Brain infested this planet. She's shaping it into her original world. However there's still quite a few distinct areas that she hasn't affected." Quothos said, moving around almost impatiently.

            "How do you know? Have you been here before?" she asked, then raised her cannon. "Or are you a spy working for Ridley. That would explain why he didn't kill you. You've got two seconds before I find out just what you look like on the inside."

            "Whoa Samus! Don't do that… I don't know why he didn't kill me. Hell I don't even know why I'm here. All I know is after that lightning storm this dream has turned into a nightmare." Quothos said, his hands up to defend himself. Though he was quite sure his flesh wouldn't stand up to her arm cannon. Samus sighed and lowered her cannon.

            "Alright I believe you… but don't get me wrong. I'm gonna keep my eye on you." She said, tossing him a helmet.

            "You don't actually mean… " Quothos said, catching the helmet.

            "I most certainly do. You seem to know quite a bit about this planet, so you're coming with me. But don't worry. It won't be this planets creatures you have to deal with." She said with a glare.

            "Ooh… if looks could kill… " Quothos said. Samus gave him a space suit. It wasn't as armored as hers, but it would allow him to survive the alien atmosphere. As they exited the space ship Samus had her cannon up. But nothing came at them.

            "It's almost too quiet." Samus said jumping to the ground.

            "Of course. Brain thinks Ridley took you out with the space colony. They'll only realize we've arrived when you acquire the morphing ball." Quothos said heading for a door. "We'll encounter no resistance until then."

            "My you are a well of information aren't you? But why would Mother Brain re-create the morphing ball? She should know those things helped me the last time." Samus said as the worked there way down a long shaft.

            "She didn't. It happened when she altered the land into Crateria. Her powers are limited and she's creating an exact replica of Crateria. However, the transformation isn't complete as I said." They opened a door in the floor and entered an extremely vertical shaft with very few ledges.

            "You're right. I remember this. This was the escape route after I killed Mother Brain last time. But it's slightly different." They passed through mother brain's original stronghold. After taking an elevator down a level, they collected the morphing ball and a searchlight kicked in.

            "Shit! They know we're here." Samus yelled, blasting the light into oblivion.

            "Oh don't worry. If we head down that corridor, we'll find no enemies, but we will get two packs of missiles. Once we gain some higher power-ups, we can return here for even more missiles and an energy tank." Quothos stated from memory. Samus just looked at him suspiciously, but went down the corridor anyway. They collected the missiles and returned to the elevator. As they were travelling up, Quothos noticed his suit changing. His fingers disappeared and a small cannon appeared in their place.

            "What's the deal?" Quothos said as he examined the cannon.

            "It's part of the suit. When enemies are in the area, it automatically transforms into weapon-mode. You can manually do it as well. I keep mine in battle-mode, just in case." Samus said. "To fire it, just make a fist. If you keep your hand in a fist, you'll fire repeatedly."

            "Alright Samus. Thanks. Now be ready. As soon as we pass through the door, there will be some real weak pirates. They'll go down with a single shot, and there aren't many, but they ARE a pain." Samus nodded and blasted open the door. They passed through and easily wiped out the pirates in the room. Quothos directed her back up the chasm and towards the room where she could get the bomb. After entering the room, Quothos grabbed her arm.

            "Be careful. I know you were raised by the chozo, so this may be difficult for you." Quothos said, getting his cannon ready. Samus took the bomb and headed back for the door when it sealed itself. Behind her, she heard the cracking of ancient stone, and the chozo statue came to life.


	3. From prisoner to hero?

**Chapter 3**

**From prisoner to hero?**

            "How wonderful. A chozo alive on this planet?" Samus said in awe.

            "Samus! MOVE!" Quothos said, pushing her out of the way as the chozo fired a beam. Quothos suit took the hit, and pain shot through his body. Though without the suit he would have been vaporized. He returned fire at the chozo's core. It roared in fury and fired again. This time Quothos dodged. Samus got up but couldn't find it in herself to fire on the bird creature.

            "Samus listen to me. This is a chozo but just like the metroids, he's been corrupted. Not just turned to stone I mean completely under her control. You have to destroy it!" Quothos said, returning fire once more. Since his was just a basic suit his shots we're having less than monumental effect on the creature. He took another hit to his mid-section and he felt the suit start to tremor. He was losing power to the suit, and fast. He figured two more direct hits and the suit would overload. Growing impatient with Samus, he went over and grabbed the loaded missile in her cannon. He ran forward, dodging shots on the way and drove it into the creatures' core. Then stood back and fired a shot. It hit the missile and the creature exploded. Samus still hadn't gotten off the floor, but after a brief moment, she shook her head and stood. Quothos had grabbed some energy balls and his suit had stopped shaking.

            "You okay Samus?" He asked. She looked at him.

            "Thank you Quothos. I... I don't know what happened. I just couldn't fire on it." She said. She leaned against the wall, catching her breath.

            "It's okay. But hopefully you'll get over it. We'll find another, more powerful one, deeper in Norfair. However that's quite a ways away. For now we should make for Brinstar to knock out the spore." Quothos blasted the door opened and started to make his way through when he stopped. "You coming Samus?" The hunter hesitated a moment, then stood, walking through the door.

            "Tell me Quothos, you're obviously not a scientist. You fight too well. Did you try out to be a bounty hunter?" She asked as they walked along. Quothos shook his head.

            "Well to be honest, I come from Earth. There was a lightning storm and next thing I know I'm on the Space Colony. Though I can't understand it. I mean I was just playing a game."

            "A game?" she asked. Quothos shook his head.

            "Never mind." Quothos said, trying to cover his tracks. She wouldn't understand, not to mention believe, his story. They came to an E-tank lying on the ground.

            "You should take it Quothos. You're inexperienced. You'll need it in the future." Samus offered, picking it up and giving it to him. Quothos shook his head.

            "I'll be fine for now. I know this terrain and where there are others. You take it." Quothos said. She nodded and attached the tank to her suit. It dissolved and became a little box of light on her right arm pad. They entered a door and went down the elevator.

            "Can this suit use weapons like missiles and such Samus?" Quothos asked. She looked at him oddly, then half-nodded.

            "It can if I modify it. Though there is something you should know. I'll have to add a cybernetic implant into your arm if you wish to use them. Not to mention that's just for weapons. If you want to use other special items, you'll have to get cybernetic implants all over your body." She stated.

            "Samus can I ask you something? Just how much human are you? I mean I've seen your schematics and all, so I know you're not complete robot." Samus stopped walking, and looked at him.

            "Roughly 87% of me is still natural. Does that bother you?" She asked. Quothos shook his head.

            "No. Forget I asked. It's just that I… Heads up!" He was cut short as a few of Brinstar's inhabitants attacked. They quickly ended that battle, and continued down the path that Quothos pointed out. "Now we have two choices. We can either skip straight to the spore, or make a side trip and pick up the charge cannon first. The spore will fall easily either way, but with the charge cannon you won't have to worry about running low on missiles." She decided to get the charge cannon first, so they made their way down there, fending off enemies when need be, collecting power ups and life along the way. They arrived at the base of the room.

            "I'll have to wait here since the passageway is too narrow for me. You can just morph into your ball and collect it."

            "You'll be okay here?" She asked. He nodded and sat on a natural ledge as she disappeared into a hidden passage. Quothos looked around and sighed.

            "I can't believe it. Fighting side by side with Samus. This is amazing. But how do I tell her that she's one of the most beautiful women in the galaxy? I mean I can't just tell her straight up. I'll look like a fool. Though I've fantasized about her for so long. Maybe I should tell her straight up." Quothos said to the open space.

            "Not meaning to make you feel silly, but you just did." The voice came from a speaker inside his helmet. Quothos jumped up.

            "Samus?" he said, feeling his face turn red,

            "Did you forget about the communications system in the helmet? I can still hear you even if we're miles away." Samus said, a slight giggle to her voice.

            "Well I um… you see… oh damn." Quothos stammered, realizing what just happened. He heard her laughter echo through his helmet.

            "Don't think too much of it. I get it a lot. I'm on my way back now. You're right. The charge beam was down here. This'll help out a lot." She said as she appeared back from the passage. "Now which way to the spore?" Quothos stood and pointed upwards. With Samus' help they made their way up the passage and into a dark room. There were three large preying mantis like creatures flying around. Samus quickly dispatched them, and moved over to the flashing door.

            "Be ready. The spore is in the next room. He's pretty easy to beat, so you shouldn't have a problem." Quothos told her. She nodded and jumped through the door. Quothos followed her and immediately went to the left wall and crouched. Samus did the same on the right wall.

            "He won't be able to hit us if we stay like this, but at the same time, we won't be able to hit him. His core is his only weak spot so nail him when he opens." He said. She once again nodded, and switched to missile mode. A large pod lowered and started swinging around the room. Just as Quothos had said, though it came within inches, it couldn't reach them. After a short while, the pod opened as if to look around and Samus launched a duo of missiles into the core. It roared with fury, and resumed swinging, faster than before. After a few repeats, the creature died. Quothos stood up.

            "Now I won't be able to follow since you'll have to morph into a ball in a bit. But I'll meet you where you'll exit. If you continue up and around, you'll obtain a few super missiles. They have the strength of five regular missiles, but they're also pretty rare too." He shot out the door below him and exited. He didn't fear the weak enemies of Brinstar, but he also knew that Norfair, the Haunted Ship, and Meridia were far more dangerous. He traveled to a wall a few sections down and waited. He heard missile fire and knew she was on her way. He saw the remnants of a wall get blown away and Samus stepped out. They continued into deep Brinstar, getting closer to Norfair. 


	4. The First MiniBoss

**Chapter 4**

**The first mini-boss**

            "Listen Quothos. That suit I gave you won't take more than a few hits. And I'm sure you're aware of it since our battle with the chozo. So why don't you return to the ship? You can give me advice and directions from there, and you'll be out of danger." Samus said looking at him.

            "Thanks for your concern Samus, and I know that shortly the heat from Norfair will prevent me from continuing, but what about you? I mean I'm a second pair of eyes, a second weapon and…"

            "An extra target!" She said, cutting him off. "It's not worth the risk. You'll be of more help if I don't have to worry about you." Quothos stopped and sat down on a ledge.

            "Okay I'll go back to the ship. But only after you've finished Kraid. He's nearby and once we finish him I'll show you a shortcut back to your ship." He said. She started to protest, but he gave her a look that said he wasn't taking no for an answer. She sighed and continued on. After collecting the Spazer beam and getting the high jump boots, they were ready for Kraid. They entered his chamber and fought off some more flying mantises. They approached a weird looking door.

            "Oh you'll get used to this. When the eye opens, hit it with a few missiles, and it'll disappear." Quothos said. She did as he suggested and sure enough after 3 missiles, the door turned to a normal one. Quothos hung back a bit as he saw a corpse leaning against a pipe. He had seen it in the game, but nothing compared to real life. The center of the suit had been torn open and his insides gutted. Quothos had to look away for fear of vomiting. They entered a room with a low ceiling and the ground covered in spikes.

            "Now what?" She asked him. Though nothing happened. The cavern seemed to go on forever, and the spikes were razor sharp and poisonous.

"I don't get it. He should appear when we enter the room!" He said. "KRAID! Get your lazy ass up here so we can send you back to the gene pool!" Quothos bellowed. A loud roar could be heard underneath.

"Oh great. I think you've pissed him off." Said Samus, though she had a slight grin on her face. A low rumbling started in the distance then grew louder as Kraid started to rise out of the ground. "He's a lot bigger than I remember." She said. Quothos fired a shot at his eye. It struck and the creature roared in fury. Samus fired a super missile into his waiting mouth.

            "I see you know how to beat these creatures." Quothos said.

            "The only soft spot is on the inside, so that's where it's gotta hurt." She nodded. Kraid rose completely out of the ground, standing a good 200 feet in the air.

            "Oh wow, this is great." Quothos said, jumping on a claw that Kraid fired at him. He then jumped to another claw and up to a ledge. He fired a shot at Kraid, but a huge claw blocked it. He turned to see where Samus was, only to see her right behind him.

            "Quothos move!" She cried, but it was too late. A claw caught Quothos mid-section and pinned him to a wall. He cried out in pain as one of the sharp claws had slightly pierced his flesh, through the suit.

            "Are you okay?" she called. No response. She turned on Kraid and fired on him. The beast roared again, which she launched another super missile at. Kraid stumbled backwards, but pressed on, trying to reach its pinned meal. But Samus would have nothing of it. For some reason she kind of liked Quothos. He was knowledgeable, a fighter, and sort of reminded her of herself. Another two rounds of super missiles down the gullet were all Kraid could handle and he sank into the ground to perish.

            "Quothos!" Samus cried, rushing to him. The claw had started to disintegrate and Quothos started to fall, but she managed to catch him and lay him on the ground. A sharp grimace on his face proved he was still alive, though in much pain.

            "God damn that hurts." He said through gritted teeth. His hand went to his wound. He brought it back up and saw blood. "How bad is it?" he asked. She looked down.

            "Thankfully it's not fatal. But I'd better get you back to the ship before it becomes infected. Oh I'm so sorry Quothos. I should have made you go back sooner." She said.

            "Ugh, don't worry about it Samus. It's my own fault. But before we go back, go into the next room. You'll find a suit upgrade there." He said. She hesitated then went to get the suit. She then hurried back.

            "Now about this short cut." She said. Quothos grinned. They made their way up to the ship and went inside. She removed his suit and his shirt, then placed a bandage around the wound.

            "Samus how many of each weapon do you have right now?" Quothos asked. She looked at him oddly, then checked.

            "25 Missiles, 15 Super Missiles and 5 Power bombs. Why?" She replied.

            "Not enough. Though it doesn't matter. I probably wouldn't be able to use it anyway." He said. She looked at him funny, and he decided to explain.

            "If you have 10 of each, and an extra power bomb, you can use a special healing technique. You'll be fully healed, but at the cost of your weapons. Though since you can recharge them both here and in hidden places in Metroid it hardly matters." She nodded.

            "Thanks, that information will come in handy. How do you activate it though?" She asked. Quothos gave her a brief but precise instruction of the healing technique and then leaned back against the hull. His injury was making him very weary.

            "You'd better rest. Knowing Kraid there's probably some venom on his claws. But it won't be fatal, at least not that dosage. Had you been fully skewered or even deeper penetrated, I'd be worried. You take it easy now." She said. Quothos nodded, but he fought the oncoming darkness.

                "Before you… go Samus. You'll need the speed booster… to run fast enough to get to Krocomire. Head all the way east when you enter Norfair. You shouldn't have trouble finding it." He said. She nodded, and it wasn't sixty seconds later when Quothos could no longer fight the venom and he drifted off to sleep. 


	5. Path To the Krocomire

**Chapter 5**

Path to the Krocomire 

            Quothos didn't know how long he had been out. But his nightmares haunted him. He saw the destruction of the last metroid before it could heal Samus, and then the agonizing death of Samus herself. His eyes shot open as he felt sweat pouring off him. He remembered where he was, and that this still wasn't a dream. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and jumped.

            "Hey it's me. It's okay!" He heard Samus say. Quothos' eyes focused further and he saw Samus leaning over him. She had a smile on her face and Quothos relaxed.

            "Ugh. How long have I been out?" He asked. He still felt pain in his side where Kraid's claw had hit him, and his head was still spinning, but the worst of the venom had passed.

            "A while anyway. I got the speed booster like you mentioned, and a few extra weapons to boot, but I can't seem to find this Krocomire you speak of." She said, sitting on a chair.

            "Oh he's hidden deep in Norfair. I'll show you where…" he started to get up but Samus shook her head.

            "Uh uh. No way. You'll tell me how to get there. You're still not fully recovered. Besides, the heat would easily overload your suit, not to mention boil you from the inside out." She said. Quothos could find he had no counter-argument so nodded his head and sat back down.

            "Alright. Here's what you do. Do you have the Ice beam?" he asked. When she shook her head he continued. "Okay just after you enter Norfair, you'll notice a yellow door. Those require you to use a power bomb on them. Blow that open, then use the speed booster to get through." She held up her hand.

            "Okay I'm on my way. You sure you're okay though?" She asked. When he nodded, she exited the ship and made her way back to Norfair. She took the quick route Quothos had mentioned by passing through Crateria and using power bombs. She made her way into Norfair and opened the door in question. Using the speed boost she passed by the closing gates and opened the secret opening only a speed boost can open.

            "Don't go that way just yet. Go through the door and proceed up. You'll find the Ice Beam up there." Quothos said. He was able to see where her relative position was on the map scanner. She acquired the Ice beam and made her way back to the opening. She made her way to a large chasm with ledges further down then she could see. She got the missile pack hidden in the wall and made her way to the bottom. Then, a speed boost later, she was at the door that led to Krocomire's lair.

            "I'm here Quothos. Anything special I should know about this creature?" She asked. But she got no response. "Quothos? Can you hear me?" she asked once more. She got nothing but static. Figuring it was simple interference preventing communication, she opened the door and entered his lair.

*                      *                      *

            "Samus can you hear me? You can't physically kill Krocomire! Samus respond!" Quothos said into the comm. system. But no matter what he tried, he couldn't establish contact. He knew that Samus would have difficulty beating Krocomire because all the creatures she fought would die after just so many hits. But the only true way to beat the red beast was to force him back far enough so that he'd fall into the boiling acid. He started looking around and eventually left the ship. He made his way deeper into Brinstar, continually trying to contact her. A few times, the enemies had gotten his energy pretty low, to the point that he could feel the suit start to lose cohesion, but still he pressed on, knowing he had to help her.

*                      *                      *

            "Damn you, why won't you die?" She cursed under her breath. The red behemoth had forced her back to a spiked wall and though she kept filling it with missiles, it only seemed to grow angrier. She was starting to run low on ammunition, and if that ran out, she would be finished.

            "… hear me? ..mus it's m…" her comm. system was crackling to life.

            "Quothos? Is that you?" She asked. She launched a charged beam into the gullet of Krocomire and the beast stumbled back from the shock, but continued to press forward.

            "Samus! Finally! I didn't know if I could proceed much further." He said. "How are you doing?" 

            "Not good, I can't kill the damn creature." She said, her breathing heavy and weary.

            "You can't kill him, at least not with your weapons. Keep hitting him with your charged shots. You'll be able to force him backwards." He said.

            "What good will that do?" She asked.

            "Just trust me!" he replied. She had learned that Quothos often knew what he was talking about, at least on this planet. She obeyed, pumping shot after charged shot into Krocomire's open mouth. The creature started to roar in fury, as it couldn't get close to its prey. Samus was growing weary from the battle, but after a few moments she noticed a large bridge with bubbling acid beneath. She pressed the battle with renewed vigor and the beast stepped onto the bridge. It cracked and gave out beneath the huge giants' weight. It toppled over and fell into the acid. With its great mass, it couldn't bring itself out of the acid. Samus watched as the creatures features slowly melted away to reveal the skeleton beneath. She fell backwards, sitting on the ground, her strength temporarily gone.

            "You okay Samus?" He asked, worried. She grinned to herself and nodded.

            "Thanks to you I am." She replied. She managed to stand and looked around. "Now what?" She asked.

            "Make your way back to the spiked wall. There will be an opening shortly." He said. "Oh and don't worry. The Krocomire's skeleton will 'attack' you, but it'll simply fall into a heap when it lands on the ground." She made her way back to the wall and sure enough the wall was thrown apart as the creature fell into a pile of bones. With instructions from Quothos, she collected the grappling beam attachment and made her way back to just outside Krocomire's lair. She tapped her helmet while eyeing the area for enemies.

            "Quothos, can you still here me?" She asked, speaking to the comm. system.

            "Loud and clear Samus. I'm glad you're okay. That Krocomire is quite deadly. Anyways, how's your energy doing?" He asked.

            "I'm a little low, but I still have three energy tanks worth. How come?" She asked. He pointed out the energy tank over the pit of acid back in Krocomire's lair. She collected the tank, then made her way back out of the lair.

            "Hey Samus, you can now make your way back to the surface. Your next objective is up here. It's an old ship that crashed here a long time ago. It's been taken over by the Phantom. Oh and... SON OF A…" his voice was suddenly cut off.

            "Quothos? Are you alright?! What happened?" She called out, but got no response. She opened the map stored internally in her circuits and had it flash across her visor. She could see his suit marker registering not far from her location. Close to the entrance to Norfair no less. She shot out the door above her, and made her way back to the location Quothos should have been. She blazed through the enemies that got in her way, a fury she didn't normally show. She blasted through another doorway and stopped short as she viewed the remains of a corpse as a few creatures feasted on it. 


	6. A lost ally?

Chapter 6 

**A lost ally?**

            Tears were welling up in her eyes as she reached for a power bomb. A few enemies noticed her, but promptly ignored her and returned to their meal. She held off the use of the power bomb. It would irradicate the body as well, and she needed to be sure. Her cannon started blazing as she rushed the creatures. Many cries of anger came from the group as they were disturbed from their meal. Many of them rushed Samus, their appendages, jaws and other forms of attack came her way. She loaded a Super Missile and took out a large group, but still they came at her. She backed off a bit, realizing she was seriously outnumbered, when a shot screamed from a different direction and vaporized one of the creatures. The creatures became confused, being attacked from an invisible source, and the hesitation was all Samus needed. A blur of shots and speed cut through the enemies like a hot knife through butter. The Speed Booster sliced through all in her path. Once the enemies were gone, she turned to where the shot had come. Her scanner picked up the glint of metal as she noticed a cannon aimed directly at her.

            "Freeze! I am Samus Aran, intergalactic bounty hunter, and I demand to know who you are!" She cried out. Who was this fool, and why was he here on Metroid? She had just lost Quothos to a group of this planets inhabitants. She couldn't stand to lose another innocent life. The only response she got was a shot whizzing over her shoulder. She dodged and returned fire. She heard a cry from both directions. From behind her as well as the target she was aiming at. She whirled at the new commotion and saw a very disgruntled Ridley with a clawed hand covering his left eye.

            "Damn you hunters! You'll regret this!" he said as he dove through terrain and disappeared into the darkness. 

            "Jesus Christ Samus! That hurts!" She heard the voice echo in her helmet. The only one tuned into her frequency was Quothos.

            "Quothos? Is that you?" She asked.

            "No, it's the other nut who's helped you through this damn planet. If it isn't giant flying mantises trying to do me in, it's my own team!" He complained, climbing out from behind a rock out-cropping. He had been half-buried by a mild wall collapse.

            "But… if you're alive… then who's…" She asked turning to the corpse. It was nothing more than one of the larger inhabitants. The creatures were simply looking for a meal and the dead mantis was a prime meal.

            "Allow me to explain. I had been trying to speak with you when Ridley came through one of those doors. He must have been on a patrol route or something. He threw me into the wall, and thankfully it somewhat gave out. Gave me a natural earth shield. He came at me, but he couldn't get to me through the rocks. I managed to get off enough shots to get him to retreat. I guess I also smoked that mantis in my blitz. Then I saw what must have been thirty creatures descending on it. I'm just fortunate they didn't notice me." He said, brushing himself off. She looked at the burn mark on his armor that was caused by her shot.

            "Quothos, I'm sorry. I just…" she started. Quothos put up his hand.

            "It's okay Samus. I know why you did it. I had to remain silent. I couldn't let Ridley know I was targeting him. That eye wound will probably only slow him down for a short while. He'll probably be healed by the time you have you're final fight." He said. She nodded, but there was a slight bit of hesitation. They headed towards the surface, collecting items and energy that were previously unreachable. At times Samus had to leave Quothos behind since he still had only the most basic of abilities. She'd try to keep in constant contact with him, though he would keep reassuring her he was just fine. He had become even fonder of Samus throughout the mission so far. It was more than just a crush now. It had blossomed into respect, admiration and even love. They made their way back to the surface and Quothos led her to the area where the old ship had crashed. With the aid of her grappling beam, Samus got both Quothos and herself across the broken platforms to the ship entrance. As soon as they entered, Samus had her cannon ready.

            "I sense a lot of evil in this place. Are you sure you want to come along?" She asked Quothos. He nodded and took point, leading her into the main shaft of the ship. He readied his gun as he led her down the shaft to the bottom of the ship.

            "I've seen rookies before and I can tell that you're preparing yourself for something. What is it?" She asked. Quothos turned to answer her, but had to leap backwards as a gruesome, floating form appeared in front of him. He opened fire and the thing seemed to moan before fading out of existence. 

            "What the hell was that!?" She cried out. Quothos' heart finally sank back to its original position.

            "It's the dead spirits of the scientists who landed here. They've mutated somehow and now are doomed to prevent intruders from entering the ship. They aren't a serious threat, but they can sneak up on you and get a quick hit on you." He stated, blasting out a weakened portion of the floor beneath him and jumping down. They made their way to a room where a bunch of machinery lay in a mess on the floor. A robot drone stood unmoving, it's power long gone. Quothos pointed out the point where Samus would need to plant a bomb. While she easily crawled into her ball and rolled through, Quothos was forced to crawl on his stomach to fit through. She blasted the door open and jumped in, Quothos close behind. The door slammed shut with the common gray door that was obviously a one-way door. The room was deathly quiet.

            "Be ready Samus, this is the Phantom and he can only be damaged when his eye is open. Other then that, he'll just throw plasma fire at us, and fly around the room." He stated, moving into a corner and readying his cannon. She did the same, as a low moan seemed to fill the room. A transparent figure faded into view in the middle of the room, and looked at the two warriors. Then it closed its eye and started to waver back and forth, dropping blue balls of plasma flame. When the fire hit the ground, it began to bounce around towards one of the two hunters. A single shot would quickly vaporize the creatures though, so they weren't the greatest concern. They also dropped energy on occasion, which helped keep Quothos at top health from the occasional flame that got too close. Finally the creature stopped and opened its eye to look around. Quothos saw the green missile too late as it screamed into the waiting pupil of the creature.

            "SAMUS! NO!" Quothos cried. The beast vanished and appeared at the top-middle of the room. It let off wave after wave of plasma fire, doing serious damage. If it hadn't been for the two energy tanks Quothos had received on their journey, his suit would have long ago been destroyed. Finally the attack stopped, and both warriors were left to check the damage they had received.

            "Samus are you okay?" Quothos called across the room. A weak nod was his only response. "I should have warned you about that. A charged beam is the only real way to attack him. For some reason, he's able to absorb some of the energy from a super missile and release that plasma. Another attack like that and we're done for." He said. Again she nodded, and climbed to her feet. The normal plasma fires gave them back some of the lost energy, but not even a quarter of what they lost. Another opportunity came up and Samus released a charged wave/spazer/ice combo beam into the eye. It roared and flew off into oblivion. Quothos had been correct about this attack. It had nearly the same power as a super missile, but with less dangerous side effects. After what seemed like a battle that just wouldn't end, the creature started to fade back and forth, before disappearing all together. All around them, machines started to hum, and status screens flickered on as power was restored to the ship. Another mega boss had been beaten.


	7. A Plan A Trap…

**Chapter 7**

**A Plan... A Trap…**

AN: I seriously apologize for not updating this sooner. I was working on a few other fanfics, and to by quite blunt, didn't have a clue what to do with this. But now, without further adue, Here's Chapter 7

Quothos heaved a sigh of relief. He felt his suit shuddering and he felt incredibly weak. A quick look at his energy meter confirmed his feelings. A single hit would have caused his suit to overload, resulting in his death. After collecting some of the energy left behind from the deceased Phantoon, he looked over at Samus. She was standing, looking much better off than himself. She looked over at him and grinned.

"You've saved my skin once again." She said. Quothos blushed furiously behind his helmet and bowed his head. The exited the room and made their way back to the main corridor. Machines were buzzing and short, plain robots were ambling back and forth with no apparent purpose. That is until Samus and Quothos drew near. They turned and opened fire.

"Guard drones. They aren't overly dangerous, but they can't be destroyed by our beam weapons." Samus explained without emotion. She jumped over a few of the shots and landed on one of the drones heads. The drone was unable to fire straight up, so Samus was temporarily safe. Quothos leapt up to the top of another, getting ready to jump again if necessary. Sure enough the drones, seeing only an enemy, opened fire on their own kind. The shots knocked the drones backwards and onto their backs. Their short, stubby legs flailed, trying to get upright. Samus ran at one and, with the air of her speed booster, knocked two more to the ground. A single drone remained standing, so they simply ignored it. They made their way up the ship, dodging the sparking circuits and viral orbs that threatened them. They were halfway up the ship when Quothos sat down to rest. He was still feeling tired from the battle. Samus, aided by her power suit, was feeling no weariness. As long as her suit had power, she was energetic and healthy.

"Hey Samus, if you want, you can go on ahead. I'm just slowing you up right now. If you follow this to the top you can find a few missile packs and the rare gravity suit." Quothos said, breathing heavy. Samus thought for a moment. Quothos could see her hesitation.

"Oh don't worry about me. Besides, to get to the gravity suit, you'll have to use your morphing ball, and it would take me forever to crawl through that area. I'll make my way back to the ship and meet you there." He finished.

"But what about those jumps and the water between this ship and my own?" She asked. Quothos thought about it. He had gained incredible skill fighting on this planet, but he was still concerned about his low energy reading. Samus looked at her arm and pushed one of the glowing energy tank readings. The energy reformed into an energy tank.

"Here, take this one. I'm still good on energy and this will get you back. Just remember, that suit will allow you to breathe under water, but pressure could still crush you." She warned. Quothos nodded and took the tank. It vanished from his touch and a small yellow box appeared on his arm console. He felt somewhat refreshed as well. Maybe his suit helped keep him healthy as well. He watched as she continued her climb up the ship and finally disappeared out of sight. He made his way back to the path they had entered from and started out the door. He backed up and ran as hard as he could. He reached the end of the deck and jumped. He felt himself fly through the air and land heavy on the next platform. He looked behind him. Had he really jumped that far? He was hoping to get some momentum when he hit the water, but instead he had made the platform. He tried to reach the next platform, but his muscles expressed great protest, and he fell short. The cool water surrounded him and he felt himself submerging. Some of the Zebian fish turned on him and started swimming towards him. He opened fire, letting loose a barrage of energy. He took out the two closest to him, but the activity had attracted even more. He turned and fled, but the water slowed him down considerably. He tried to swim but that was even more difficult with the heavy suit. He ran backwards as fast as he could, his cannon still blazing. A small army of fish was advancing on him quickly. He wouldn't escape in time. He leapt, and curled himself into a ball as best he could. The fish passed over him, but quickly turned and renewed their pursuit. He reached down and grabbed two handfuls of sand and threw it around. Soon the visibility in the water was nil. The fish could no longer see him, but he had no idea where they were either. He started for shore once again only to brush by one of them. He felt sharp pain tear up his side. He continued his struggle against the water. His muscles started to scream as they were worked harder than they had ever been. Quothos knew he shouldn't look back, but something in his mind told him he had to. He turned his head and saw one of the fish a few mere inches from him. It was going to tear his head clean off at that speed. He closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable. After a second, he was still standing there. He took a practice breath and realized he was still alive. He dared open an eye and saw the blood of the fish around him. He turned and fled once more, seeing shore only a few feet ahead. He climbed the rock wall and collapsed on the surface. He looked up at the emptiness of space and sighed. He was beat. But why wasn't he dead? He looked around.

"Samus, can you hear me?" He asked. After a few moments, his comm. system crackled to life.

"Is something wrong Quothos?" She asked. She was still in the ship. The interference was proof of that.

"Uh, no I guess. How's you're progress?" He asked. No sense making her worry.

"Well I've got the gravity suit and thanks to my friend, the chozo statue, I also tracked down a reserve tank. I'll be with you shortly." She finished. Quothos looked around. If she hadn't saved him, then who had?

"A question I am sure you would like answered child." Came a voice. Quothos sprang up, his cannon armed.

"Who's there?" He demanded.

"Do not worry young one. I will not hurt you." It said. It was feminine. Quothos tapped his visor and the scanner activated. He could detect no one.

"Show yourself. Who are you?" Quothos said, his anger and fear rising.

"I am you're friend, if you will allow it. I can help you." She responded.

"Enough games, give me some straight answers." He growled.

"As you wish. If you head down the tunnel to you're right you will find me." She cooed. Something wasn't right.

"Why don't you come out and find _me_?" He asked. He knew that the denizens of Zebes could be tricky, and he only trusted two people. Himself and Samus.

"If that is what is required for your trust, then remain where you are. I shall be there soon. Quothos guard went up even more. He double-checked his energy meter. He still had the tank and over half of normal. He heard a rustling sound from behind the brush and a young woman came out. She didn't appear fully human, but had some similar features.

"You're name is Quothos correct?" She asked. Quothos was stunned.

"How do you know my name?" He asked. She grinned and giggled.

"Silly boy, I know everything about this planet. You'd best be careful. Ridley has been searching for you." She said.

"Well that's a comforting thought." He snorted. There was a roar behind him and his face paled. He knew that sound, and it chilled him to the bone. Ridley had found him. He turned and opened fire. Ridley swooped up and grabbed him in his claws.

"You will make a tasty little snack you annoyance." He said, his eyes swirling red with hatred. He squeezed hard and Quothos gasped. He was being crushed. Behind him, Quothos heard the girl. She was unprotected.

"Whoever you are, run while you can!" He cried. Instead of obeying she came up to him.

"Release this boy, foul creature." She said coldly. She held up her hands and looked at Ridley.

"And why should I listen to such a pathetic creature?" He asked. The next thing he knew, Ridley was sent flying into a stone pillar. Quothos fell to the ground, but he quickly jumped back up. Ridley was retreating, his wing injured.

"I guess I owe you my life." Quothos said sheepishly. "Sorry I doubted you."

"All is forgiven my child. Now let me see that armor of yours." She said and then began to draw near.

"QUOTHOS NO!" Samus cried from inside his helmet. He turned and saw her running towards him.

"Too late Aran! He is MINE!" The woman cried. She grabbed his arm and disappeared. Quothos' eyes glazed over and he could feel his very soul being drained. Then something was replacing it. He looked at Samus, and an evil grin appeared. 

"Looks like your plan to beat my master has come to an end. You won't destroy me, and you can not save me. I serve only one being now. That is the supreme Mother Brain!"

AN: Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as for the cliff-hanger, I love em, cuz almost every good book uses them. I'm glad I've got this one up finally. Chapter 8 and 9 are also ready, just have to finish them and post them. Thanks for sticking with me.


	8. A trip to maridia

**Chapter 8**

**A trip to Maridia**

AN: When you see ~text~ it means that mother brain is communicating with Quothos

"Release him Mother Brain or I'll make you regret your existence." Samus growled. Quothos laughed deeply.

"Foolish girl, you can not hope to retrieve him. His mind is under my influence now. He will obey only me." Quothos said. Though the voice came from Quothos, it was obvious that it was Mother Brain speaking.

"We'll see about that. Quothos, you have to break free. Please listen to me." She cried. Quothos raised his cannon and let off a single shot. She dodged it easily, but hesitated on returning fire.

"Poor Ms. Aran." Quothos chuckled. "You try to protect mankind and instead you doom them time and time again. You've already endangered the hatchling by making it my own and now I control this boy. How much more damage can you do this day?" A single tear escaped Samus' eyes. The hatchling. The poor defenseless creature. She would have to rescue it as well.

"Oh I assure you, you will be unable to rescue either the boy or the metroid." Quothos stated.

"Get out of my head you vile creature." Samus said. "Quothos I hope you can forgive me." She leapt at him and drove her fist into his stomach. On a normal being, it would have easily crushed their innards, but the armor absorbed most of the blow. It did manage to knock her possessed colleague unconscious though. She knelt down and lifted Quothos into her arms, before placing him over her shoulder.

"I'll save you. You have my word." She said before returning to her ship. 

* * *

Upon returning to her ship, she proceeded to bind Quothos' arms and legs. She also deactivated the suit so that he would be unable to fire the cannon. She sat back in her command chair and sighed. It wasn't long until she heard the motion of Quothos stirring.

"Samus…" He gasped.

"Quothos are you alright?" She asked. He looked up at her.

"I can't fight her much longer. I'm so tired. You have to defeat her. But you can't do it yet. Head to Maridia and beat Draygon there. You'll get the Space Jump and you'll need that for your final meeting with Ridley." He said, his head falling to his chest.

"Quothos, you can beat her. Just focus." Samus pleaded.

"It's too late Samus, he's mine again." He sneered.

"I'll return to help you Quothos. Try to be strong." She said upon leaving the hatch.

~Good she's gone. Alright now boy, I want you to blow up this ship.~

"I won't do it. You can't control me."

~You have no choice but to obey me. If you refuse I will destroy you're mind.~

"You think I'll surrender that easily? I happen to know you're weakness you slimy excuse for a being."

~You talk big for someone with no will of their own. Observe, even now you're body obeys my bidding.~ True to her word, his arms fought the bonds and seemed to break them with relative ease. Her possession of him must have also given him some of her strength. He began walking towards the console.

"Oh you'd like to think that wouldn't you?" He said, his fingers beginning to push random buttons.

~What do you mean? Even know you're entering the destruct code. You're just fooling yourself into thinking you're in control.~

"Oh that's not the destruct code." Quothos grinned. He then reached under the console and grabbed a handful of wires. With a quick tug he ripped one apart and grabbed the end of it. An electric shock suddenly pulsed through Quothos body. His body screamed in agony, but even more so was Mother Brain's cries of anguish. The electrical discharge was affecting his brain, and since they were psychically linked, Mother Brain was also feeling the pain. She had no choice but to release her control on him. Quothos body fell backwards, his skin was softly sizzling. How had he survived that massive shock? He looked down at his arm console. He had 5 energy units remaining. Of course! He recalled the strategy he had used to beat Draygon. The suit would conduct the electricity through itself, and only the pain would be felt by the host. Of course once the suit ran out of energy, being electrocuted would have been the pleasant way of going. He was lucky that the brain had released him when she did. He quickly pushed a few more buttons and a small hatch opened. He attached his suit to the ships uplink and felt his energy recharge. He noticed that his cannon had been disabled. He'd have to contact Samus to have her re-activate it, but she failed to answer his communication. He'd just have to stay put and wait for her return.

* * *

"DAMN HIM!" Mother Brain roared. "How dare he!" Mother Brain continued to rant about her loss of control over Samus' ally. She would have to take more direct measure next time.

"You called for me Mother Brain?" Ridley asked, entering her lair.

"It's about time you got here." She growled. "I want you to return to the surface. This time I want you to capture him and bring him to me!"

"I suppose this means you're plan to capture his mind has failed?" Ridley asked.

"Unfortunately, he was a little more resourceful than I had predicted. I will take no more chances. Bring him to me at once. Samus foolishly left him defenseless so you had better not fail me!" She ordered. Ridley nodded and flew off towards the surface.

* * *

"Is that all you've got?" Samus cried as she dodged and let another Super Missile loose into the creatures soft stomach. Draygon floated by, swinging it's tail madly. Samus checked her missile reserves. She was running out and fast. The charged beam seemed to have no effect on the creature. It turned and came about for another attack. But this time it slowed down. Instead of attacking, it started spewing out globs of gray matter. Samus did her best to dodge, but a few of them made contact with her. She found that she suddenly lost almost all of her mobility. She somehow managed to dodge an energy shot from the wall turrets, but Draygon had used this time to come in on top of her. It snatched her up into it's claws.

"Let me go damn it!" She growled struggling to break free. She saw the large spiked tail swing around and catch her in the leg. The power suit protested, but held strong. It had never let her down before, but under this punishment it was weakening. She needed energy. She finally managed to get an arm free, and with two super missiles to it's under belly, Draygon roared and released her. She landed on the soft sand of the lair and rolled. Her energy was severely low. She thought of a way to get energy, and then she remembered Quothos.

"Just take 10 of each weapon and an extra power bomb." He had said. She checked her reserves. She had plenty of missiles and power bombs. But did she have the 10 super missiles to spare? She had no choice. She curled into her morphing ball and planted a power bomb. She quickly charged her systems with the weapons and soon the explosion enveloped her. Her suit seemed to come apart as her body was consumed in a white sphere. She could feel her strength returning quickly. Soon the light faded and she was standing in her suit once more, with full energy.

"Remind me to thank you yet again Quothos." She uttered, before resuming the fight. Draygon swung around, intending on ending the battle. However, Samus' renewed vitality gave her a new vigor. She leapt up and grabbed on of Draygon's claws. It roared with furry being unable to strike her. She quickly dispatched another wall turret and saw the crackling energy.

"Hey Draygon, you look like you need an energy boost. Let me supply it for you!" Samus cried as she shot her grappling beam into the nearby turret. The electricity surged through her body and up into Maridia's guardian. It howled with an unholy pain and soon Samus saw it's stomach explode outwards. She disengaged the grappling beam and fell softly to the sand. She saw six miniature versions of Draygon come from the surrounding area, but ignored her. They continued on to Draygon and carried her beneath the sand. She retrieved the Space Jump, as well as a few energy and missile tanks, not to mention the spring ball, then made her way out of Maridia.

"I'd better check on Quothos." She thought, returning to the surface. 

AN: Well another chapter done. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Chapter 9 is soon to follow


	9. Ridley's Vengence

**Chapter 9**

**Ridley's Vengence**

            Ridley grumbled as he made his way to the surface. He should be hunting down Samus, not searching out some pathetic human. Why did this one matter so much to the Brain? He didn't appear special in any way, just another life form to feed the metroids. Though he hated it, he would follow through on his mission. He took a passageway passed Brinstar and ended up near the surface. He could see Samus' ship hovering not to far away. It was raining again. A hard, acidic rain that would easily tear through the flesh of anyone not protected. Ridley curled his wings to his sides, not wanting them to get torn up by the harsh winds and acid rain. He made his way over to the ship when it suddenly veered on him. He stood stunned for a second.

            "How good of you to come see me Ridley. I had expected you sooner however. The Brain must be getting slow in her old age. I was beginning to get bored but now you'll provide some entertainment!" Came a voice from the ship's speakers.

            "You dare challenge me human? I am well aware that you are defenseless. Just surrender before I make you my lunch." Ridley growled.

            "Oh but Mother Brain wouldn't want that. She needs me to be her prisoner doesn't she? You see just before our link broke I knew what she was planning. You can hurt me, unless you want to feel her wrath." Quothos said, chuckling.

            "I'll tear you in HALF!" Ridley Roared as he flew at the ship. A big mistake. With his feet off the ground, a huge torrent of wind and rain tossed him aside like a candy bar wrapper. He quickly dug his talons into the ground and regained his balance.

            "Care to try that again you half-witted lizard?" Quothos goaded. Ridley growled and ran at the ship. Ridley's eyes went wide as a panel slid away and a pair of cannons popped out of the ships hull. They opened fire and knocked Ridley even further away.

            "Oh I suppose I should also warn you about the ships auto defenses. Anything not approved by Samus that comes within one hundred feet will be met by these two babies. I'm sure you don't want to feel them at full power." Quothos laughed. Ridley was furious. He spread his wings and flew up and out of range of the cannons. Then with amazing speed, he dove down and landed on the ships hull. The cannons couldn't reach him here. He reached out to tear open the hatch, but a large electrical surge passed through him.

            "Oh and don't forget the energy field protecting the hatch!" Quothos said, his face red with laughter. However, Ridley wasn't to be beaten. With amazing force he drove his spiked tail through the hatch. The energy field fizzled out and Ridley stood looking down on him.

            "Oh, uh, hi Ridley old pal…" Quothos stammered. He tried his cannon but forgot it had been deactivated. He was defenseless.

            "Your bones will be a delicious crunch that I will savor this day." He growled reaching inside. Quothos quickly grabbed his helmet and attached it. Ridley grabbed Quothos and brought him out through the hatch, his face a mocking grin. Ridley had won. Quothos saw Ridley's jaw grow wide and he braced himself for the final bite. Ridley bit down, but instead of a soft neck, he found himself biting down on a missile. It exploded and nearly tore half of Ridley's jaw from his face. They both looked at the purple blur coming towards them. Samus had returned.

            "Access Code: Alpha-Beta Two" Samus called. Quothos felt a certain energy flow through him once again. He raised his cannon and let loose a flurry of energy into Ridley's injured eye. The red giant roared out in rage and pain, releasing his captive.

            "You haven't seen the last of me you blasted hunters!" Ridley roared, flying off into the caves of Brinstar. Samus slowed to a halt just to the side of the ship.

            "Quothos are you alright?" She asked. He nodded softly, dropping back down into the ship. Samus followed, closing the hatch with a backup plate. She sat back in her command chair and heaved a sigh of relief. She took her helmet off and let it slide to the floor.

            "Quothos, assuming it's you since Ridley almost had you for dinner, how did you break free?" Samus asked. Quothos took off his own helmet and set it down.

            "Well as I'm sure you noticed, she was controlling me psychically. Since she was linked through the mind, I knew she would feel exactly what I felt. So I gave her a quick taste of electric juice, and she had no choice but to release me. Though a few seconds more, and I would have been cooked." He explained. Samus nodded.

            "Draygon wasn't fond of it either." She grinned. Quothos smiled and blinked.

            "I see you found the easy way of beating the beast. I would also have recommended that method, but you wouldn't answer my calls."

            "Sorry Quothos, I felt it was necessary. I didn't want Mother Brain distracting me from my battles." She said.

            "Fair enough, though it's a good thing you returned when you did. A few more minutes and I'd be watching your battle from the inside of Ridley's stomach." He said, with half a grin. Samus chuckled softly. She took the time to recharge her energy and her weapons then sat back to relax for a moment.

            "Samus… I…" Quothos started.

            "What is it Quothos?" Samus asked. He looked away from her, unable to meet her gaze.

            "While I was linked to the Mother Brain, I started to learn what she knew." He said, pausing. "All I can say is… you're going to lose someone very close to you. And soon." Samus watched him carefully.

            "Are you saying you'll be killed?" She asked. Quothos shook his head. If it wasn't him, then who?

            "Samus you have to leave. Ridley will be waiting in his lair by now. I can't follow you this time. You're heading into the deepest pits of Norfair. The gravity suit will protect you from upper Norfair's lava, but lower Norfair is filled with acid that will cut through your suit. It's even hotter down there, so be careful." He said calmly. Samus nodded and stood, grabbing her helmet.

            "I've reactivated your suit so Ridley won't try another sneak attack. And don't go falling for any more 'defenseless girls' okay?" She asked with a grin. Quothos nodded and watched her go. He placed his head back against the cold steel of the ship. A tear escaped him, but he let it fall.

            "I only wish I could spare you the pain you'll feel when you find out." He said softly. 

AN: Finally this chapter is up. I've got to get to work on Chapter 10. Previews? Well there's going to be a big battle between Samus and Ridley, but maybe a few surprises not from the game. If you have any questions, or if you need some help beating the game, feel free to e-mail me.


	10. The final battle with Ridley

Chapter 10

(AN: I would like to note that the speed boost tactic does NOT work in the game)

            "I am surrounded by incompetent fools." Mother Brain grumbled. She had watched Ridley fail again, and her temper had all but completely been breached. She knew that Ridley would lose against a direct fight with Samus, but she had to give the creature credit for it's stubbornness. With a damaged wing, his left eye now blind and his jaw nearly hanging off, he still wished to have a final one-on-one confrontation with Samus. All her realm guardians had been defeated, except for Ridley, But in his injured state, he wouldn't stand a chance. It didn't matter anyway. She knew that Samus would have no possible chance of beating her this time around. She would simply wait for the inevitable battle. It would be one she would savor. 

*                      *                      *

            A jet of flames burst up in front of Samus. She instinctively went to wipe her brow of the sweat that would have been there. But her suits enclosed environment kept her cool. Her new gravity suit was definitely worth the trouble. She leapt over another pool of acid and made her way through another door. On the far side of the room, she saw a chozo statue offering up his hands in acceptance, but as she made her way to claim it, the floor beneath her gave way. A quick space jump kept her from falling into a large acid pool. She leapt into it's open hands and curled into her ball form. The acid started to drain from the room, leaving a large cavern below. She made her way down and was about to leave the room when another chozo statue nearly fell on top of her. She looked at the statue as the stone started to crack.

            "Please no… Not another one." She thought, her voice catching in her throat. The chozo stood up, it's yellow eyes scanning her for a moment. Then the battle began.

            "Quothos had warned me there would be a second one. I just wish I didn't have to fight it." She thought, firing a volley of missiles. But this one was smarter then it's predecessor and dodged them all. It showed immunity to power bomb blasts as well. She charged up her beam and let it fly, but it retaliated with a volley of fire bombs. How could she beat this creature? It knew all of her tactics and was either immune or able to counter with severity. What other weapons did she have? She ran up to strike it's core physically, but it's long arm and sharp talons kept her at bay. She ran to the far side of the room and felt the soft blur of her speed boost kick in. She thought of something then. The little alien creature had taught her how to charge her energy and do a power thrust jump. Nothing could stand in it's way except the hardest of ground surfaces. She started to run around the room, building up her speed. The chozo's attacks couldn't hit her as she zoomed around the room. Then, when she felt she had enough speed, she knelt and charged the energy into her suit. A resounding yellow glow surrounded her and she looked at the chozo. She did a small leap, then let all the stored energy explode as she flew with tremendous speed at the chozo. She passed through it's core as though the chozo had been tissue paper. She slammed into the wall, stunning herself. She managed to turn just as the chozo exploded, sending fragments everywhere. In it's wake, she collected the screw attack upgrade and continued to Ridley's chamber.

*                      *                      *

            Ridley sat quietly in his chamber. His meager self-regeneration skills had given him partial blurred vision in his left eye again, but his jaw would remain broken. As for his wing, his other would compensate enough to get him off the ground, but he would have less maneuverability. He heard his pirate ninja's engage in battle and knew Samus was close. He saw the door to his chamber open and her purple suit leap down to the platform.

            "I see you have come to end this Samus." Ridley snarled.

            "You can't seriously wish to fight me Ridley. Unless of course it's death that you want?" Samus goaded.

            "We shall see who has the last laugh Samus." He growled leaping up and extending his wings. He dove down on her, but she morphed into a ball and dodged to the side. He swung upwards, but his wing slowed him down and by the time he had turned around, an ice beam caught him in his damaged wing. It froze solid and he was forced to land.

            "I hate to bully the weak." Samus grinned. Ridley growled and charged at her. She let a missile fly, but he jumped over it and struck her with his spiked tail. She was sent flying hard into the solid stone wall. Her breath was forced from her momentarily and Ridley used that time to lunge at her. He stood over her ready to drive the spiky end of his tail down through her chest. But before he could strike, Samus rolled to the side and launched a super missile at his frozen wing. It exploded into shards of ice and Ridley howled in pain.

            "Damn you, hunter." Ridley roared, slashing with both his clawed hands to rip Samus into shreds. Samus leapt backwards but felt her suit take a hit. A few inches and he would have easily punctured her armor resulting in certain death. The heat and acid would have quickly killed her if the lack of oxygen didn't do it first. Another missile forced Ridley backwards, but he quickly took the offensive again. He dove down on top of her, but she was already rolling away. They both stood up and looked at their respective rivals. Both were breathing heavy, the battle taking it's toll on them.

            "You're finished Ridley." Samus called.

            "Don't be so hasty to judge Ms. Aran. I may be losing the battle, but you've already lost the war." He smirked.

            "What do you mean Ridley?" Samus asked coldly. Instead of answering, he lunged at her once more. Samus let a volley of missiles fly, each one hitting it's target in a vital area. Ridley fell to the ground, and struggled to get up.

            "I took the metroid from you. You came to rescue it. Too bad you won't be able to. You've failed Samus." Ridley chuckled, green blood trailing from his mouth.

            "Shut up. Don't you dare taunt me demon." She cried.

            "The metroid larva is no more. I've gotten rid of the last thing important to you. I have w….." Ridley could no longer finish. A large smoldering blob remained of his head. Samus loaded another super missile and destroyed the remainder of his body. She blew open the door behind him and ran inside. In the middle of the room lay a broken glass container. There was no trace of the hatchling.


	11. En Route to Mother Brain

Chapter 11

            "Quothos come in! This is Samus do you read me?" Samus called into her communicator as she ran towards her ship. She was nearing Brinstar. He should be able to hear her. Unless Ridley had gone back for him. He did say he had gotten rid of the last thing important to her. She shuddered and put her speed booster into overdrive. Her extra speed let her cut through the enemies and soon she was standing near her ship. It hovered there lifeless. She jumped to the roof and opened the hatch. No Quothos. Where could he be? Suddenly her map kicked in and a new beacon went off. A large power source was detected somewhere in Brinstar. Mother Brain no doubt. Did she have Quothos? A renewed fury filled her.

            "First the chozo race, then the hatchling, and now you take Quothos from me?  Your torment ends this day you demon creature." She said as she headed towards the elevator to Brinstar. But on her way there, she had to skid to a halt. There was Quothos walking towards her. He had two missile packs and an energy tank in his arms. He tapped his helmet and she nodded. His comm. system was down. They walked back to the ship.

            "Sorry to worry you Samus." Quothos apologized. "I knew of a few extra supplies that might help you out so I decided to pick them up for you. I heard you calling me, but when I tried to reply, it was obvious you weren't receiving me." Samus shook her head.

            "It's okay Quothos, no need to apologize. I was just a little concerned. You knew about the hatchling didn't you?" She asked. He nodded slowly.

            "Samus, I couldn't tell you before. I'm sorry. The hatchling is alive, but there's nothing you can do to help it anymore." He said slowly.

            "Why not? Is it under Mother Brain's control?" She asked. He shook his head.

            "No it's resistant to her control. But it's surviving on pure instinct right now. It _will attack you if you meet it." He said. He had played the game, but would the same thing happen in real life? Metroids knew only feeding, or did they?_

            "Are you okay Quothos?" Samus asked. She could read his worried look.

            "Samus, I know you have to finish this, but I…" he choked on a sob. He looked up at her, brushing back a tear. Her soft look was like a laser beam to his heart. He stood and walked up to her.

            "It's time to go Samus." He said. She nodded and stood up, but before she could attach her helmet, he leant up and kissed her. She was stunned momentarily, but took it as a compliment.

            "Just come back alive." He finished. She flashed him a smile, then was gone. Quothos sat back down in the ship. His mind was tearing itself apart. He only had a weak suit. He'd be useless to her. He looked at his arm panel. Three full energy tanks and something else. It read '05'. What was it? He called out to Samus, but then remembered that his comm. system was still down. That '05' might make the difference in her battle. He had to give it to her. His mind made up, he set the auto-defenses, and jumped through the hatch.

*                      *                      *

            "The gateway of guardians?" Samus thought, looking at the enormous statue of the area masters. She went up and touched the part that resembled Kraid. As she did, the green jewel that was it's eye suddenly flared. Samus jumped backwards, cannon at the ready. The gem shattered, and something flew up and out of the stone. The other three jewels flared up, before shattering and also releasing something white. Then there was this tremendous rumbling and Samus was forced to her knees. The statue in front of started to crumble, then sink. Sink? Where could it sink to? Her scanner mentioned nothing but solid stone beneath them. Yet the statue sank into the floor, and when it was gone, a small chamber could be made out. She squeezed through the rock floor and found herself in an elevator room. With determination marked on her face, she stepped on and awaited her descent.

*                      *                      *

            Quothos had to leap aside from the space pirates shots.

            "Hold still you waste of flesh!" Quothos growled, letting his own shots fly. The pirate raised it's spiked arms and deflected the small orbs of energy. Quothos rushed in to get a better shot. The pirate raised it's one mantis like arm and brought it down hard. Quothos caught it with his free hand and held it at bay. He switched his cannon off and quickly grabbed the second appendage. 

            "You… will not… get in… my WAY!" Quothos said, pushing back. The pirates eyes circled with confusion at the humans persistence. Quothos forced the arms back towards the pirates neck, and then pulled as hard as he could. The spiked forearms shredded the pirates neck like tissue paper. Blue ooze seeped from the creatures neck and spilled onto the floor. Using it's spikes to cut away the arms, Quothos fashioned himself to short swords from the arms. They could deflect the pirates shots as well, and would be great physical weapons. He charged into the statue room and noticed the statue already gone.

            "Wait for me Samus. I'm coming." He said to himself.

*                      *                      *

            "I hated myself for nearly eradicating the species, but I will not be some one's meal!" Samus thought to herself as she froze another metroid in it's place. It fell to the ground and shattered.

            "Please forgive me." She thought to herself. Each metroid she killed reminded her more and more of the hatchling. Each one she killed could be the one she had spared and saved. Yet she had to stop mother brain at all cost. Another metroid moved in to attack and she froze it. It fell a few short feet but did not shatter. This one would live. Even if only one survived, she wouldn't feel so bad. She passed down another hallway and entered a room where a chozo stood ready to attack her. She let off a quick shot and it exploded into dust.

            "What the hell?" She thought. She noticed other denizens of Zebes had been reduced to nothing but dust. What had done this? She entered the next room and saw another of the jumbo jumpers. She quickly ducked behind a pillar. It would jump over her and when it did, she would quickly dispatch of it. But as she waited, she heard an unholy cry. One that chilled her to the bone. What else was in that room with her? She loaded a super missile and waited. The jumped leapt over top of her, but before she could fire, a metroid five times bigger than she had ever seen attached itself to the jumper. In record time it had sucked all the energy from Samus' target. Then the creature turned to dust. So that was why. It had drained the enemy so badly that it had sucked out it's pure life essence. Then the metroid swung around and hovered above Samus. It hadn't been satisfied by that meal alone. It was going to consume her. She fired off her ice beam, but the oversized metroid shrugged it off. Even a missle didn't hold it at bay. It latched on and she could feel her suit being drained. So this was how she would die. A species she thought she had nearly wiped out was going to finish her off. She braced herself for her suit to overload, but suddenly everything around her stopped. The pain of energy loss, the sound of the metroid, even her alarm system seemed to be suspended. Then a soft cry came from the metroid above her. It hovered over head, just waiting. Was it full? Did a metroid ever get 'full'? Why didn't it finish her off. Then it appealed to her. She looked up.

            "Hatchling?" She breathed. The metroid cried once more, then flew off down the corridor. Samus could only sit and rest for the moment.


	12. The Final battle begins

Chapter 12

"Shit! Get away from me damn it!" Quothos cried, fleeing from the metroid. He had figured Samus would have cleared them all out, but she had left one. On purpose or by mistake he wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to stick around and find out. He leapt over another pool of lava and shot out the door. Running as fast as he could, he jumped through the door, seeing it close just behind him. A frustrated metroid slammed itself repeatedly against the door, but it wouldn't budge. It started crying out and Quothos shivered.

"Sorry about that, but I'm no ones meal." He smirked, continuing on his path to find Samus. He had heard her encounted with the hatchling, and heaved a sigh of relief when she survived. She had found the recharge station and was on the last hall to the Brain's chamber. He had been through so much with her. She had saved his life multiple times, for which he doubted he could ever repay her. Then again, maybe he'd be able to help after all. He blasted open the next door and continued on.

*                      *                      *

Samus stood in awe at Mother Brain's chamber. She sat floating in her glass container, lifeless. Samus loaded a missile and fired it. The glass surrounding her chamber slightly cracked, but not much more.

"I see you've protected yourself better. Not that it'll make a difference to me you vile creature." Samus growled, firing off a string of missiles. The glass finally exploded leaving Mother Brain unprotected further. A regular missile to Mother Brain's soft brain tissue caused an odd effect. An unholy wail waifted through the room and the power seemed to flicker. Samus loaded a super missile and prepared to finish this once and for all.

"Samusssssssssssssssssssssssss." Came an evil hiss. It seemed to come from all around her. Samus looked around, focusing back on the Brain. Her eyes were wide open and staring at her. A mock grin crossed her lips.

"It's been a long time Samus. But much has changed since our last encounter. I will not be so easy to defeat this time around." She said. Suddenly there was a sharp rumbling, and Samus had to brace herself against one of the metal pillars to keep from falling into the lava beneath her. When the rumbling receeded, Samus jumped down to the dry floor and looked around. Mother Brain just lay there. Then another rumbling started and Mother Brain started to _rise_ from the ground. Samus stood in shock as she watched Mother Brain's new bio-mechanic body was revealed from beneath the floor. Mother Brain cackled with laughter as she watched Samus' reaction. Then the battle began. Mother Brain's large jaw opened and fired beam after beam of energy at Samus. Samus dodged with all her skill, but a few shots still found their mark. A charged ice beam smacked into Mother Brain's head and she cried out in agony. It didn't freeze her, but it still had a decent effect. 

"What's the matter Brain? Got 'brain freeze'?" Samus chuckled, firing another beam. Mother Brain growled and fired a fire missile at Samus. Samus managed to dodge, but the explosion from the impact sent her flying. In the distance, Quothos was drawing nearer. He could see the two combatants holding nothing back. He watched as a missile found its place in one of Mother Brain's arms, blowing off part of it. The unholy wail that he heard made him cringe in fear, and he almost ran, but he had to help. He was here now and he wouldn't run away.

"It would seem you can't win Mother Brain. Even your new body isn't strong enough to defeat me." Samus called, breathing heavy.

"You are very wrong Samus. I've just been saving something extra special until now." She countered. Mother Brain's eyes closed, and the lights started to flicker. Mother Brain's brain started to glow softly and Samus stood in awe. Then a beam exploded from Mother Brain's eyes and enveloped Samus. Quothos could hear her cries of anguish as the beam sucked her dry of energy. He saw Samus activate her reserve tanks when something dawned on him. Unlike the game, the brain was going to finish her off. The worst part was, he was still too far away to lend any assistance. He saw the Brain's body kick Samus across the room, lowering her energy further. He went as fast as he could, but the narrow passageways made him crawl and squeeze through slowly, and he was taking much too long. Then he heard the familiar cry as he saw the hatchling hovering over him. Not only was he not going to save Samus, but was about to become the hatchlings last meal. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Hatchling, I don't know if you can understand me, but your mother needs your help badly. She's dying and you have to help her." He thought to himself. The hatchling started to descend on him, it's claws rippling with the preparation of its meal. But when the hatchling latched on to him, he felt no pain. It lifted him off the ground and hurled itself towards the battle, smashing through pipes and pillars. It release Quothos just before entering the room. Mother Brain had just started to charge her beam when the hatchling latched onto Mother Brain's head. Quothos would never forget her cries from that day. Such pain and anguish. He saw Samus lying there, breathing softly, and he started to make his way over to her. The hatchling disengaged itself from the Brain, and proceeded to recharge Samus. Quothos grinned, then felt his stomach turned. The hatchling was about to die. He could already see Mother Brain's body start to regenerate not only itself, but the Brain as well. He looked at his meager cannon, and he felt his rage build as he realized his powerlessness. The Brain had started it's attack on the hatchling, Samus trying to shoo it away so that she could attack. Quothos clenched his fist and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"You vile creature. Leave them alone." Quothos cried to himself. Then he felt something materialize in his hand. His arm plate read '04' now and he felt something circular in his hand. He opened it to see a power-bomb. It started to spin and he knew that it was getting ready to blow up. He then got an idea. Running at full speed, he cocked his arm and called out,

"Hey Mother BITCH! Suck on this!" With all his might he hurled the bomb towards her. The Brain turned at the sound of someone else's voice and caught the bomb right in the mouth. An explosion of light erupted from the Brain's mouth and a loud scream could be heard. Samus looked over at him as the hatchling flew off to recover.

"Quothos, what are you doing here?" She called. Since their comm. system was still down, he gave her the thumbs up, and got ready to attack again. They both looked up to see a badly injured Mother Brain. She snarled at them, nearly half her head missing.

"Give it up you waste of brain tissue. You've lost." Quothos smirked. The brain responded with a fire missile, which Quothos barely dodged. A charged ice beam reminded Mother Brain of her other opponent. Quothos started to run and dodge between Mother Brain's feet, preventing her from getting a good shot off at him. He formed another power-bomb and planted it on Mother Brain's left leg. An explosion and a howl of anger and pain left the brain toppling to one side. 

"How dare you. I'll destroy you all. I won't be defeated again!" She cried.

"You want a piece of me brainy? Come and get it. Why don't you just frickin EAT ME!" Quothos called, laughing out loud. But his laughter was cut short as Mother Brain's one good arm grabbed him around the waist.

"Why not? Sounds like a good idea to me." She said, raising him to her mouth.

"Oh shit." Was all he could squeak out.

AN: Oh don't you just HATE cliff-hangers? Don't worry. Chapter 13 is maybe a day away, but I had to make you suffer a little bit don't I? I am extremely greatful to everyone who's been reading and leaving reviews. Without you guys I would have never finished this. It would have sat and died. Only one (maybe two) chapters to go. Hang in there.


	13. Defeat of the brain and a special surpri...

Chapter 13

"QUOTHOS!" Samus cried, but he only grinned.

"Sorry, but I don't kiss on a first date. At least not without a breath mint first." He said, hurling a power-bomb into her open maw. Her stomach exploded outward and the brain's bio-body collapsed. The brain rolled off the body, and looked up at Samus and Quothos. Both were smiling as Samus loaded a Super Missile.

"Any last words?" Samus asked smirking.

"As a matter of fact I do. Operation Beta-niner-six-zero." She called out. Suddenly alarms started going off everywhere.

"Self-destruct sequence initiated. Five minutes until core overload. All experimental beings released. See you in hell Samus." Came a calm, monotone computer voice from all around them. Samus and Quothos looked at each other. He nodded and threw his last power-bomb at the wall. It exploded and the two proceeded to make their escape. Quothos followed as Samus speed booster made short work of any space pirates who got in her way. A nearly clear path had been opened when a familiar cry came from behind him. The hatchling was stuck beneath some rubble and couldn't break free. It was tired from the rapid recharging of Samus. Quothos ran over to it and started lifting rocks off of the metroid, but he too was tired. The metroid would be able to break free if only it had a source of energy.

"Use me." He muttered. The hatchling let out a soft wail, as if to decline. "Drain me, damn it. I won't see Samus or you hurt anymore. It's your only hope." He cried, thrusting his arm at the metroid. It hesitated only a moment longer, when it's hunger got the better of it and it latched a single mandible onto him. A pain that could not be described ripped through Quothos' body. He felt suddenly weak, and his legs giving out. He felt the cold touch of death, but just before it grasped him, the pain stopped. The metroid was floating above him, and yet something was supporting him.

"You're about as stupid as they come you know." Samus growled into his ear. He gave her a soft grin of reassurance and then he felt himself being lifted into her arms. He wasn't sure how she could carry him and remain so agile. She jumped and leaped the platforms when Quothos started to sweat profusely. A quick check on his internal temperature showed the air around him to be climbing rapidly. Already at 32 degrees Celsius and climbing quickly. Samus picked up her pace, and soon he could see the lush vegetation of the landing site.

"Go back." He muttered. He wasn't sure when or how, but she heard him.

"Are you crazy? This place is about to go nova." She muttered, the strain of her actions starting to show.

"You don't understand. It's the eticons that helped you earlier. They're back there along with that bird creature. Back where you got the bomb upgrade. You still have enough time. Go rescue them." He gasped. He felt so tired. He felt her place him on the ground, and disappear back inside the caves. He saw the metroid hover above him, and then lower itself near him. He felt some of his strength return and nodded to the hatchling.

"Thanks. Now we're even. Ship voice-recognition activation. Evacuation protocol priority one. Engage primary engines and prepare for departure." He barked into his comm. system. The ship responded and the powerful engines started to hum. "Secondary function, prepare high bursts of zeta-type radiation and flood exterior of ship in 10 second bursts." The ship fazed green a few times and he knew the ship was charging the specific radiation type. He leaped up and into the ship, strapping himself into a seat.

"Come on Samus, move it." He urged. Soon enough, he saw her purple suit blazing towards him. He felt the engines fire up and the ship started to lift off.

"No, not yet you blasted ship, she isn't here yet!" He growled. But the ship continued to move up with increasing speed. He saw a yellow blur shoot by the front window, then a thump above him. Her speed-boost jump had gotten her there in time. She jumped in the hatch, and sealed it before taking her position at the controls.

"Hang on. This is going to be close." She muttered. She hit a few switches and grabbed her armrests. "Here it comes." There was a huge crack beneath them and a blast of fire and smoke shot up towards them. She managed to dodge it, and a few others that followed when they broke Zebes atmosphere. Her hyper-drive kicked in and shot them out into deep space. They both heaved a sigh of relief. Then Samus started going frantic.

"The hatchling! We forgot about it. It'll be killed." She said, preparing to turn the ship around.

"Samus, calm down. The hatchling is fine!" He said, grabbing her arm. She looked up at him with a quizzical glance. A small green being was perched on his shoulder.

"It's back to normal?!" She gasped. He nodded.

"I remember that Mother Brain had pumped it full of gamma radiation to increase its size, so I used zeta radiation to reverse the process. Though I have no idea _why_ or _how_ I knew that would work." He explained. She ran towards him and pulled him into a huge bear hug. He gasped as he felt himself being crushed, but reveled in the moment.

"Quothos, thank you so much. You've done so much for me on this mission, without asking a single thing in return. How can I possibly repay you?" She asked. He shook his head.

"You've saved me a couple of times from Ridley, not to mention never… well almost never, questioned my ideas." He said, thinking about when they first met. "You took me on a journey through Zebes, and that means more than any reward. At least to me it does." She flashed him a smile.

"So what are you're plans now?" She asked. Quothos thought for a moment. He wasn't sure how long he would be here. He heard a soft squeak from his arm. He giggled as the hatchling started hovering above him.

"Looks like I've made a new friend." He said with a chuckle. Samus grinned.

"You know, I don't really have any place to be going anytime soon. If you don't mind the company, I think I'd just like to tag along." He replied. She nodded slowly.

"It's alright with me, but we'll have to get you registered with HQ. They won't like me fighting off pirates with a stranger." She said. He nodded and sat back in his chair. The hatchling landed softly on his shoulder again and seemed to make soft, child like sounds. Quothos grinned as he settled in for a nap.

AN: The end…. NOT! Yes this is the end of the game, and yes I altered the ending. But seriously, who out there wanted the hatchling to die? I'd like to think of it as surviving the battle, which is where this whole fic came to life. There are going to be more chapters, or I might just make an entire new story out of it. We'll just have to wait and see. And I must thank EVERYONE who's sent in reviews. They've helped me a lot and it does a writer good to know his stuff is appreciated.


	14. Back at Space Station 'FreeZone'

Chapter 14

Quothos felt a soft nudge on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see a suit of armor standing over him. His initial reaction surged forward, causing him to call out.

"Quothos, it's alright. It's me." She called, grabbing his arms. He stopped thrashing around and paused.

"Samus? Oh. Sorry about that." He breathed. She chuckled a bit, and then stepped out the hatch. He followed her slowly, securing his helmet, then leaping out the hatch. He gasped softly as he saw the numerous different species walking around the station. Suddenly the entire hall went quiet as they saw him. As if on cue, each and every one of them ran screaming for cover. A squeal from his shoulder told Quothos why. These people still feared metroids, and figured he was just its meal.

"It's okay everyone. This one won't hurt you!" He tried, but to no avail. Four armored guards appeared and surrounded him.

"Hold your position while we eliminate that creature." One ordered as they raised their weapons. Quothos growled and raised his cannon.

"You make even a single shot, and you'll regret the rest of your VERY short existence." Came a female voice from behind them. They turned at the newcomer and gasped.

"Ms. Aran, you have returned." One of the guards gasped.

"But of course Leo. You expected me to die out there?" She asked, mockingly. The guard gave a soft chuckle, obviously nervous.

"They were gonna off the hatchling Samus." Quothos called, jumping down.

"That thing is a threat to everyone here." A second guard growled.

"That 'THING' is a far less threat then I'll be should it come to any harm by you four." She glared. The guards lowered their weapons.

"Then this is the hatchling I've heard about. The one you rescued from SR388?" Leo asked.

"I see you've been keeping up on my reports. I expected as much from you Leo." Samus said.

"Hey give a guy a break. I can't help how I feel." He countered.

"You're so hopeless." She said, throwing up her arms. The other three guards burst out into laughter. Leo dropped his head, sighing. Quothos grinned, as he knew what was happening. Leo must have been one of Samus' many admirers and maybe even more. But Samus didn't see him that way. Did she even have someone waiting for her to come back home?

"How good it is to see you again Samus. I trust you were successful." Came a new voice from behind them. A big man, roughly six feet high, and as big as a boulder stood there eyeing them. The hatchling lifted off Quothos shoulder and gave a soft cry that would have been similar to a dog's growl.

"Commander Mantel. Nothing less than complete demolition." She said, flashing him the thumbs up. He chuckled heartily, his entire body bouncing. As muscular as the man was, he seemed to carry a lot of 'cargo' around his middle.

"And who is this one with you?" Mantel asked. Quothos removed his helmet. 

"My name's Quothos sir. I helped Samus on her last mission." He offered, giving him his best salute. Mantel gave him a quizzical glance.

"Quothos eh? Well if Samus trusts you, you must be okay. Come with me boy. You too, Samus." He said, turning and heading towards what Quothos guessed to be an elevator. With Samus' nod of approval, Quothos jumped down and followed the big commander. The hatchling hesitated only a moment before re-attaching itself to Quothos. He smiled softly as the little creature wrapped its mandibles around him. They entered an elevator and soon found themselves entering a very lush and fancy office.

"Have a seat you two. I want a full report." He said, sitting in his chair and activating a recorder. Samus started going into full detail about everything that had happened on Zebes. Even the parts that Quothos didn't think were all that important. Eventually, she got to the part where they were escaping from Zebes' and she came to a finish. Commander Mantel sat back in his chair and seemed deep in thought.

"Quothos, do you have anything to add to Ms. Aran's report?" he asked. Quothos went over everything she had said, and nothing seemed to have been missed. 

"I think she got it all sir." He said, looking over at her. Mantel nodded.

"Very well then. Samus, you look beat. I suggest you go take a nap while I have a talk with young Quothos here." He said. Samus nodded and got up to leave. Quothos was about to speak up when she looked at him with a smile.

"Don't worry, he won't bite. Commander Mantel is really just a big teddy bear once you get to know him." She giggled. Mantel gave a gruff snort, which caused Samus to laugh harder and Quothos to grin.

"Alright Samus. But how will I find you when I'm done?" He asked.

"You won't have to." She said, pointing to the hatchling and giving it a soft stroke. "Just ask this sweet little thing. He'll guide you to me." The metroid let out a happy cry and jumped over to her. She giggled softly, picking it up and putting it back on Quothos shoulder before leaving. Quothos sat nervously in his chair as Commander Mantel looked him over.

"You must have done something to really impress her son. She doesn't take to others too easily." He said. Quothos shrugged.

"Well she didn't trust me at first. But saving a persons life with valuable info can have that affect I guess." He said. Mantel nodded slowly then motioned towards the hatchling.

"If it's alright with you and Samus, we'd like to continue studying the metroid species. Ever since Ridley's destruction of the space colony we haven't had much data on it." He noted. Quothos gave a short shrug.

"It's okay with me, but we'd have to check with Samus and this little guy here first." He replied. Mantel clapped his hands together.

"It's settled then. You find Samus, and then report back to me. Oh and don't worry about the paperwork. I'll take care of it personally. Welcome to space station 'Free-zone', Hunter Quothos." He said with a wink. Quothos grinned and left to find Samus.


	15. FreeZone' is one crazy place

Chapter 15

AN: Just a note this chapter has some slightly R rated material, so those who would be offended, skip the marked section. I would also like to take this chance to respond to some of my reviews.

Red Chaos Mage: Yes I thought that Quothos should also be given the title of hunter, though he isn't an official one yet.

That Random Hiccupping Metroid: Yes those games would follow, however, this is between those events

Ei47: This is the sequel, sort of. And don't worry, all relevant game info ended with Chapter 13. This is all original stuff now.

Thanks again everyone for your reviews. So without further a due, I bring you chapter 15.

Quothos walked around for what seemed like hours. The hatchling was having difficulty locating Samus amongst all the bustling activity. Ships docked and left, hundreds of different races were wandering about, conducting whatever business they had to attend to, among many other things. He was starting to feel lost and tired, when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"You're kind isn't wanted here." It said, pulling its hand away. Quothos whirled about, leveling his cannon at the creature's neck.

"Care to repeat that?" Quothos growled. Had he not been so angry at the accusation, he would have vomited on the spot. The creature looked like it had been put through the blender a few times and smelled twice as bad. The creature eyed him closely.

"Do not speak to me in such a harsh tone Hu-Mon. Besides, it is not you I have a problem with." It gurgled. Quothos then noticed that the hatchling was no longer on his shoulder.

"Harm one cell on that things body, and I'll turn you inside out." Quothos' temper had reached its breaking point.

"I suggest you listen Zlaarg." Came a heavy voice from behind him. Quothos turned to see Leo standing there. "That kid's got the guts to back up a threat. He basically defeated the mother brain." At the mention of the brain's name, Zlaarg backed away, quickly releasing the hatchling.

"Many pardon's oh great hunter. I did not realize. Please forgive me." It said, turning to flee. Quothos lowered his cannon, placing the hatchling back on his shoulder.

"You got guts kid. Very few are willing to talk back to an Algorian trader. They'd sooner kill you than deal with you though." Leo explained. Quothos shrugged.

"I'd rather deal with him than Samus if this poor thing had been hurt." Quothos chuckled. Leo also gave a quick laugh before walking off to stop another fight breaking out.

"Guess discrimination isn't completely dead yet is it pal?" Quothos asked the hatchling. It squeaked a few times, then lifted off his shoulder and headed to the right.

"Hey you finally found her did you?" He asked, picking up his pace. They went down a few hallways before coming to what he assumed to be crew quarters. Large steel doors kept them solely private, and only strange markings told what lay inside. Quothos figured them to be room numbers, or possibly even the names of the occupant, but there was no way he would be able to decipher them. Fortunately, he didn't have to. The hatchling bounced off a door a few times letting Quothos know exactly where she was. He noted the palm reader beside the door and placed his hand there. A mechanical voice crackled to life.

"Unknown hand print. Please state name for verification."

"Quothos." He stated.

"Searching… Quothos, un-registered hunter, class B. Permission granted by Samus Aran. Enter when ready." It said. Quothos nodded and stepped forward, hearing the door slide open. Inside it was a pretty lavish room, though it hadn't been used recently. Even still, it was clean and fresh. He heard movement from the back of the room and decided to see if she was awake.

"Samus?" He called. No answer. Was she sleeping after all? He walked further into the back.

**---Begin R section---**

He opened a second, wooden door to see her just exiting the shower. She was fully nude, with water trickling down her breasts and between her legs. Her blonde hair was pasted to her back as she reached for a towel. Quothos felt erect instantly.

"Oh shit, Samus, I'm sorry." He said, closing the door. He heard her giggle inside.

"Are you really that embarrassed?" she asked from the other side of the door. "I won't kill you if that's what you're worried about. And I'm covered now so you can come in." Quothos opened the door, his eyes averted. When he looked up, she was no more covered then when she had just stepped out of the shower. He gasped again and lowered his eyes.

"S-Samus!" he sputtered. She was roaring with laughter.

"Please Quothos, it's nothing to be ashamed about. But don't get me wrong. I don't strut around like this normally." The hatchling floated over to her and circled her a few times, before landing on her chest.

"Oh god…" Quothos murmured. Even the hatchling was against him. Samus eyed him for a moment.

"You've never been with a woman before have you? Let alone seen one like this?" She asked. Quothos blushed furiously.

"Well…" He started. He didn't want her to think of him as a loser.

"It's okay. There isn't that many humans left anyway." She said, lifting his chin. "We've saved each other more than enough times. You can look if you want." He looked up from her feet, tracing her body with his eyes. Her breasts hung right in front of him now, bouncing softly as she giggled at his shyness.

"You know Quothos, I never did get to properly thank you for saving the hatchling. It means a lot to me, especially since you were willing to sacrifice yourself to do it." His face blushed further, and he could feel his heart pounding like an over-powered jackhammer. She grasped his hand, and led him over to the bed.

"Just relax, and let me show you the wonders of a woman." She cooed.

**---End R Section---**

AN: Did you love it? Hate it? I must ask though, what male hasn't had that thought run through their mind at least once. A good-looking chick that kicks more than enough ass. I mean come on. I had to bring this one to a close before I went into too much detail and had fanfiction.net throw the book at me. Don't fret, more action to come soon. Not to mention many more chapters. Just hang tight. Thanks again everyone who reviews. It gives me the motivation to continue.


	16. The morning after

Chapter 16

Quothos woke up beside a sleeping Samus, and had to blink a few times. Had he dreamed the previous night? Was he still dreaming now? But he knew it hadn't been a dream. It had been an experience he would never forget. He rolled out of bed and picked up his clothes. He dressed slowly, constantly being distracted by Samus' perfectly shaped body. He looked around, but couldn't see the hatchling anywhere.

"Hatchling? Where are you?" He whispered. A soft cooing came from the couch. He walked over and lifted Samus' top to see the hatchling beneath.

"Hey there, you hungry?" he asked. The hatchling gave a little chirp and started to fly up. Quothos held up his hand and the hatchling landed softly on it. Quothos could feel the energy drain begin, but since the metroid was so small, it wouldn't be a fatal amount. He yawned and stretched a bit. The hatchling soon lifted off his hand and rested on his shoulder.

"Well now that you're fed, we gotta find something for me." He said, feeling his stomach gurgle. He looked over at Samus. He didn't want to wake her unnecessarily, so he decided to let her sleep. Now where on earth… strike that, where on 'Free-Zone' would he be able to find a meal? He put his space suit on, realizing that he didn't want to run into Zlaarg again without his cannon, and stepped out into the hallway. He scratched his head, and headed back to the main docking bay.

"Does this place ever sleep?" he wondered. There was just as much going on as before, if not more. He found it difficult to move through the masses, never mind see where he was going. What could be going on that brought this much attention? He then realized, most of them weren't even moving, just staring at one point. What was up there? He pushed his way through, finally reaching a small clearing. It formed a semi-circle around a docking port where a ship was just arriving. Quothos also noticed several armored guards, including Leo, positioned inside the circle. He fought his way, as best he could, over to where Leo was standing. The soldier smiled softly as he saw Quothos approach.

"Hey Leo, what's going on? What's with all the security?" Quothos asked. Leo raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you haven't heard? We're receiving a great honor today. It happens very rarely, and he's very important, so this kind of action is required." He explained. Quothos snorted.

"That's great, but you still haven't told me any specific details." Quothos said. Leo grinned.

"Just wait, young hunter. You'll see." He explained. A door opened on the ship and a platform was rushed up to the entrance. A hush fell over the room as a lone figure started to descend the ramp. Quothos could only stand in silent awe as he realized just who had come to the space station. He noticed Commander Mantel off to the side in his full official get-up. He walked up to the visitor and offered, what Quothos guessed, to be a special salute.

"It's a great honor to welcome you here this day my friend. If there is anything you require, simply ask it of me and I shall see it done." The bulky man said his words with such respect, Quothos felt almost ashamed to even be at the reception.

"Do not lavish me with so much respect Commander. I am simply an old friend of yours and expect to be treated as such." The creature said.

"You haven't changed a bit old bird. Shall I order an escort for you? I'm sure you're anxious to speak with her." Mantel offered. The chozo looked up at him.

"Commander I only require one escort this day. Where is he? You spoke so highly of him." He said. Commander Mantel's face almost fell.

"But sir, he's not fully trained yet. He doesn't know much about this station." He started, but the chozo held up a withered hand.

"Commander, I shall be the judge of his worth. Now please find him for me." He requested. Mantel nodded and looked around. He saw Quothos standing beside Leo, and motioned over to him.

"General Leo, bring him over." Mantel ordered. Quothos raised an eyebrow.

"You're a general?" He gasped. Leo chuckled.

"Now don't start that. I hate formalities." He said with a grin. Quothos nodded and let 'General' Leo escort him over.

"So you're the young lad that helped my Samus-san." He said. His voice was so soft, almost like silk. Quothos nodded, trying to remain professional.

"Yes sir. Our mission was an interesting one." He said. All three started to chuckle, and Quothos wondered if he had done something wrong.

"Loosen up son." Command Mantel said. "He won't bite you."

"I fear the reception has put this young lad in a state of nervousness." The chozo said. "You need not be so formal with me Quothos. I am just a humble chozo." Quothos let out a sigh and relaxed his shoulder. A soft squeal from his shoulder made him relax even more.

"Ah the hatchling. Samus spoke much of it. I see it has also taken a fondness to you." He said. Quothos nodded.

"Yes sir. If I may sir, I'm sure Samus would be overjoyed to see you." Quothos said. The three agreed.

"Do not announce my presence to her just yet. She is unaware I am coming. I wish it to be a surprise." The chozo said. Quothos nodded and started leading the way to her quarters. People started to clear a path for them, letting them through.

"If I may say so, you command a lot of respect from all races." Quothos noted. The old bird nodded.

"My kind has been around for many generations and have always been a peaceful people. Only the space pirates hold malice for our race." He said. Quothos scowled at the mention of the space pirates. They soon found themselves outside Samus' room.

"If you'd care to wait here, I'll see if she's awake yet." Quothos said, placing his palm on the scanner. The door slid open and Quothos poked his head inside. No movement. He ushered the chozo in and sat him on the couch. He walked down the hall to the bathroom and knocked.

"Samus are you in there?" He asked.

"Be out in just a minute." She said. He grinned, then thought of something.

"Um, could you make sure you're dressed when you come out?" He asked. He heard a giggle from the other side.

"Alright, I'll make sure I'm dressed." She said. He walked back to the main room and dimmed the lights. He knew how happy she would be to see her old friend, and it made him just as happy. He heard the bathroom door open and saw her coming in his direction.

"How come the lights are so low?" She asked. Quothos face-faulted, then quickly recovered.

"Uh, my eyes are a little sensitive this morning." He lied. She accepted this and entered the main room. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the low lighting, when her keen senses kicked in.

"There's someone else in here." She said, a hint of a growl in her voice. She looked hard at Quothos.

"You didn't let some pirate follow you in here did you?" She asked. Quothos quickly shook his head.

"I've never been so insulted in all my life." Came a soft voice. Samus paled and a single tear could be seen rolling down her cheek.

AN: Question. Does ANYONE know what the heck the old bird's real name is? I don't recall it ever being mentioned, though I could be mistaken. If someone knows, it would be a GREAT help in writing these chapters. 


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